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Pasco County Planning Commission

Another approach considered to control invasive species

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The Pasco County Planning Commission found a proposed amendment to Pasco County’s Land Development Code (LDC) pertaining to controlling invasive species to be consistent with the Pasco County Comprehensive Plan during its Aug. 8 meeting in Dade City.

The proposed amendment to the LDC is one sentence that says: “Invasive species located within the area of the project proposed to be developed are required to be removed (and) ongoing maintenance to prevent the establishment of prohibited, invasive species is required.”

This recommended change to the LDC came after county staff withdrew from consideration a proposed new ordinance, which was several pages long, specifically addressing the control and eradication of invasive species. 

This occurred after the July 11 planning commission meeting in which answers were not available regarding how and by whom the proposed ordinance would be enforced if it was adopted.

Jennifer Seney, a Wesley Chapel resident and longtime environmental advocate, told planning commissioners on Aug. 8 she was disappointed that the original proposed ordinance had been withdrawn. Some neighboring counties, including Hillsborough, have ordinances specifically addressing invasive species, Seney said. 

The Pasco County Board of County Commissioners (BCC) will hold its first reading of this proposed amendment to the LDC on Aug. 21, and it will be scheduled for possible adoption on Sept. 3. This is because the BCC has the final authority on whether to adopt the proposed amendment since the planning commission only acts in an advisory capacity regarding such matters.

The Pasco County Planning Commission recommended that all applications for car washes be conditional use requests, similar to those required for cell telephone towers. (Pascal Preti/Getty)

It was also recommended to the BCC that all applications for car washes should be considered as conditional use requests, similar to those required for cell telephone towers. 

This recommendation was made following a lengthy presentation and discussion regarding whether proposed amendments to an ordinance addressing car washes were consistent with the county’s Comprehensive Plan.

Their recommendation specifically stated that car wash conditional use requests should be required to meet design standards as currently presented by staff, and that a special set of conditions, similar to those used for cell towers, be created for car washes.   

Planning commission members agreed this would make it simpler for both the public and car wash applicants to understand what was going to be required for such applications to be approved. Also, county staff would be granted flexibility in determining what conditional use conditions would pertain to each car wash applicant. 

The BCC will hold its first reading of this proposed ordinance on Sept. 3 and it will be scheduled for possible adoption on Sept. 17.

In other business, planning commission members:

  • Recommended that the BCC approve with conditions a rezoning request made by Kokolakis West MPUD – SR 52 Limited Partnership and Jen Holdco LLC on approximately 177.48 acres located in central Pasco County. 

The property is currently zoned A-C Agricultural District and it’s being requested that the zoning be changed to a Master Planned Unit Development District (MPUD) to allow for the maximum development of 155 single-family detached dwelling units, 67 single-family attached dwelling units, 168,799-square-feet of Support Commercial, and 125,000-square-feet of Corporate Business Park/Target Industry/Light Industry and Associated Infrastructure. 

  • Recommended that the BCC approve with conditions a rezoning request made by Fletcher MPUD, et al, for approximately 100.6 acres near the Pilot Country Airport in north central Pasco County. The applicant wants to be allowed to develop 350 Multi-family Dwelling Units, 160 Town Home Dwelling Units, and 100,000-square-feet of Commercial and Associated Infrastructure there. 

The current zoning of the property is A-C Agricultural District and R-1MH Single-Family/Mobile Home District and the applicant wants it to be changed to a Master Planned Unit Development (MPUD). The Pilot Country Airport didn’t oppose the request that the BCC will consider at its Aug 21 meeting in New Port Richey.

  • Continued a decision until Oct. 17 on whether a special exception and a zoning change requested by Lakeshore Blvd LLC should be recommended for approval by the BCC. 

The applicant wants to be allowed to use approximately 3.62 acres of property located at 13939 Lakeshore Blvd., in Hudson, for freestanding commercial and recreational vehicle and boat storage purposes. The property is currently zoned PO-2 Professional Office and MF-2 Multifamily Medium Density District and it is requested that it be changed to C-1 Neighborhood Commercial District. The property is approximately 233 feet southwest of Fivay Road. 

The applicant would be required to repave the portion of Lakeshore Boulevard to where it connects with Fivay Road. A separate entrance would have to be incorporated into the project design, complete with a gate and a fire truck turn-around for emergency access. 

The possible expense of repaving the appropriate portion of Lakeshore that is necessary so it would meet county standards was one of the reasons for continuing a decision. This occurred after Lakeshore Blvd LLC’s representative indicated the applicant wanted to see if other people who would benefit from improvements would be willing to share the costs. Planning commission member Jon Moody said he didn’t think neighbors would be willing to chip in on the cost to repave that portion of the road.

Planning commission members also wondered why the property couldn’t be used instead for professional offices that could be occupied by medical doctors, due to its close proximity to Bayonet Point Hospital. 

Published August 21, 2024

Proposed invasive species ordinance uprooted

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The Pasco County Board of County Commissioners (BCC) were informed during their Aug. 6 meeting in Dade City that a proposed ordinance to regulate invasive species such as cogon grass, kudzu and English ivy, has been withdrawn from consideration.

The BCC wasn’t required to take any action on the proposed ordinance. It had been a controversial topic when the Pasco County Planning Commission reviewed it during their July 11 meeting in Dade City, as measures to regulate invasive plant species are already contained within part of the Pasco County Land Development Code (LDC) but haven’t been enforced. 

Cogon grass is considered an invasive species as it crowds out native plants. ((Photo by DeAgostini/Getty Images))

Planning Commission members recommended changes be made to the LDC so steps could be taken to help eradicate invasive plant species and prevent their reoccurrence. Ways to enforce what’s already in the LDC were also recommended.

County staff members are following that recommendation and will present amendments to the LDC to the BCC at a future meeting. 

In other business at the Aug. 6 meeting, commissioners:

  • Approved an ordinance establishing the Hope Innovation District that will consist of roughly 775.6 acres, to be located east of the Suncoast Parkway, south of Ridge Road, and west of Sunlake Boulevard.

This Community Development District (CDD) is the site where Moffitt Cancer Center plans to make a major expansion into Pasco County.  

Plans call for 13,400,000-square-feet of development that will be assessed by the CDD. Types of development that may be assessed include Clinical, Research, Labs/Office, Amenities/Residential, Education, Light Manufacturing, a Future Community Partner Hospital, and Flex space. All internal roadways will be financed, owned, operated, and maintained by the CDD. The CDD will be responsible for maintaining the hardscape, landscape, and irrigation, including bike trails and sidewalks.

The life sciences park established in the CDD will bring together expertise from across fields such as biotechnology and manufacturing to accelerate progress in cancer and other diseases, according to a statement by Moffitt Cancer Center.

  • Approved a revised ground lease agreement with the Peachtree Group that became the new leaseholder for the four-story, 128-room Residence Inn by Marriott on March 29. The hotel’s address is 2867 Lajuana Blvd. in Wesley Chapel. It opened in 2017 and is on county-owned property adjacent to the Wiregrass Ranch Sports Complex. 

Michael Bernath, Peachtree’s senior vice president for acquisitions and dispositions, told commissioners that the current average daily rate (ADR) for occupancy of the hotel is 58.8%. Bernath made his remarks remotely due to inclement weather. 

District 5 Commissioner Jack Mariano expressed serious concerns about that number. He said that Peachtree should try to find some way to get that rate up higher. “We should be shooting for 100 percent,” Mariano said.

An ADR of even 80 to 85 percent would be difficult to achieve, remotely, Bernath said.

Mariano maintained that the higher rate being charged to rent rooms at the hotel is what was keeping the occupancy rates down.

Bernath replied that the rate charged at the hotel would be “what the market will bear.”

Commissioners approved extending the term of lease from 25 years, with three consecutive renewal terms of 10 years each, to 50 years, to accommodate Peachtree Group’s investment timeline and financial considerations.

Peachtree Group originally planned to inform commissioners of the ADR at five-year intervals. Commissioners agreed instead to have that information provided to them every three years during the term of the lease.  

  • Continued until Sept. 9 a zoning change requested by Crossways MPUD – Crossways 301 LLC for approximately 29.5 acres located in east Pasco County. The property is currently zoned A-C Agricultural Zoning District and the applicant wants it to be changed to a Master Planned Unit Development (MPUD) to allow for the development of up to 130 single-family detached dwelling units and associated infrastructure. Some residents in the area near the intersection of Old Lakeland Highway and U.S. Highway 98 have expressed concerns about the increased traffic they think would be created if that many homes were built on that property.

Published August 14, 2024

Planning Commission favors increased School Impact Fees

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The Pasco County Planning Commission at its July 25 meeting in New Port Richey agreed to recommend approving an ordinance to increase School Impact Fees and to pass it on to the Pasco County Board of County Commissioners (BCC). The Planning Commission acts in an advisory capacity to the BCC, which has the final authority to adopt or reject the ordinance.

(Monty Rakusen/Getty)

According to a report at the meeting, the impact fee for a single-family home is currently $8,328, and the proposed impact fee for that structure will be $9,328 in 2025 when the ordinance will be effective, if the BCC adopts it. The impact fee would then increase by $1,000 per year through 2028 when it would be $12,328.

L. Carson Bise, president of TischlerBise, a fiscal, economic and planning business located in Bethesda, Maryland, and Boise, Idaho, shared this information with Planning Commission members. He has nearly 30 years experience in calculating school impact fees and similar fees.

The BCC will hold the first reading of the ordinance on Aug. 6 during its meeting in Dade City. The second reading and possible adoption will be held on Aug. 21 during a meeting in New Port Richey.

School impact fees are one-time levies on newly permitted single-family homes, multi-family homes and mobile homes. The funds collected will be used by the Pasco County School District to help pay for school construction, including additional classroom space, and the purchase of land and school buses. 

The reason the proposed increases will be spread over a four-year time frame is because they are between 25% and 50% higher than the current rates that were adopted in 2017, Bise said.

A study on the need for possible increase of impact fees is required every four years, he added. If the ordinance is adopted, it will be effective Jan. 1, 2025.

The cost of building schools has nearly doubled since 2017 during the time of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Ray Gadd, deputy superintendent of the Pasco County School District.

It cost about $178 per square foot to construct Cypress Creek Middle School in 2017. The cost for a school building that was recently constructed was about $390 per square foot, Gadd told Planning Commission members.

It would cost between $67 million and $100 million to build a high school, Gadd said.

Another reason the proposed increase in the impact fees is needed is because there are currently nearly 90,000 students attending schools in Pasco County, including charter schools, according to Alison Crumbley, a 14-year member of the Pasco County School Board.

Bise estimated that the enrollment would increase by 13,700 students over the next 10 years.

“We understand the importance of the schools in our community for us and for our buyers and for everything,” said Edward Briggs, a representative of the Tampa Bay Builders Association (TBBA).

He added he appreciated that the TBBA had been consulted with prior to the proposed increases in school impact fees.

In other business, Planning Commission members:

  • Continued until Aug. 8 a decision on a requested change in zoning from PO-2 Professional Office and MF-2 Multiple Family High Density Districts to a C-1 Neighborhood Commercial District requested by Lakeshore Blvd LLC. 

The applicant seeks to be able to develop a freestanding commercial and recreational vehicle and boat storage facility on the approximately 3.62 acres located on the west side of Lakeshore Boulevard, approximately 233 feet southwest of Fivay Road. The applicant reportedly also requested a special exception for the property, but that information wasn’t available during the meeting. 

The decision to continue it was made due to Planning Commission members’ desire to have all the facts before they decide on whether to agree to send it to the BCC for their approval.

  • Recommended approval of a zoning change requested by Residences at Rolling Hills MPUD Master Planned Unit Development – Dan-Nico Properties LLC from MF-1 Multi-Family Medium Density District to an MPUD Master Planned Unit Development. The applicant wants to be allowed to construct 132 Multi-Family Units, 104 Senior Apartments, 3,600 Square Feet of Medical Offices and a minimum of 3,000 square feet of Retail Uses on approximately 9.87 acres, located on the southwest corner of the intersection of Little Road and Denton Avenue.
  • Recommended approval of a zoning change requested by Affordable Secure Storage from an I-1 Light Industrial Park District to a C-2 General Commercial District for approximately 4.824 acres of property that is on the north side of New York Avenue, approximately 320 feet east of Utica Drive. The applicant proposes to expand the contractor’s offices and to develop the property with a self-storage facility in conformance with applicable parts of Pasco County’s Land Development Code (LDC).
  • Recommended approval of a zoning change requested by L S McAmis/Blue Sky Storage for a change in zoning from an R-MH Mobile Home District to a C-2 General Commercial District on approximately 2.4318 acres located on the northwest corner of the intersection of Moon Lake Road and Boatswain Drive. The applicant proposes to develop the property with freestanding recreational vehicle/boat storage space in conformance with applicable parts of the LDC. 

The BCC has the final authority on whether to grant those requested zoning changes.

 

Published August 7, 2024

Decision delayed on invasive species ordinance

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Pasco County Planning Commission members recently agreed to continue until Aug. 8 a decision on a proposed ordinance addressing invasive species vegetation.

The proposed ordinance was presented to the Planning Commission during its July 11 meeting with a recommendation that they approve sending it to the Pasco County Board of County Commissioners (BCC). The BCC has final authority on adopting the proposed ordinance, as the Planning Commission only acts in an advisory capacity regarding such matters.

Cogon grass is one of the invasive plants Pasco County is seeking to limit. (Marek Piwnicki/Pexels)

The intent of the proposed ordinance is to amend different parts of Pasco County’s Land Development Code (LDC) to establish an Invasive Species Management Program. Information regarding the proposed amendments is based upon input from the County’s Public Works, Natural Resources, Parks and Recreation, Development Review Division, Building Construction Services and the Zoning Department.

A few members of the Planning Commission expressed concerns about different portions of the proposed ordinance. 

“We already have a law on the books to prohibit the establishment of invasive species,” longtime Planning Commission member Jon Moody said. He was referring to a part of Section 905 of the county’s LDC that already addresses mitigating invasive species of vegetation. 

“How do we enforce it?” Moody asked regarding the existing regulation. He also asked who was going to enforce regulations in the proposed ordinance if it is adopted.

“There’s no guidelines on how to actually pursue enforcement of what the LDC says about prohibiting the establishment of invasive plant species,” responded Keith L. Wiley, director of the County’s Parks, Recreation, & Natural Resources department.

Wiley also said it hadn’t yet been determined how enforcement would occur if the proposed ordinance is adopted.

Planning Commission member Jamie Girardi said he was concerned that the management plan with all of its reporting requirements would place a tremendous burden on the development community, Homeowners Associations, Community Development Districts and county staff.

Planning Commission Chairman Charles Grey agreed, saying “To me, this is just overkill.”

Chief Assistant County Attorney David Goldstein made some suggestions on changes that could be made to existing portions of the LDC regarding invasive species.

Moody moved that the decision on the proposed ordinance be continued for 30 days. When he made the motion, Moody said he would like for there to be adequate time for the LDC to be revised per the Planning Commission’s discussion and brought back so members would have something they could all find consensus on.

Grey seconded the motion and it was unanimously approved.

In other business on July 11, Planning Commission members:

  • Recommended the BCC approve a zoning amendment requested by S A Development Partners LLC for a change in zoning from a C-2 General Commercial District and C-3 Commercial/Light Manufacturing District to a C-3 Commercial/Light Manufacturing District for approximately 5.557 acres of property located in central Pasco County. The property is adjacent to the Funded County Road 52 Trail (AKA State Road 52 Trail), approximately one-half mile west of Mirada Boulevard. 

There is currently a warehouse on the property, and the applicant proposes to develop the property with a hotel and a sit-down restaurant. 

  • Recommended the BCC approve a zoning amendment requested by Dave Mitchells Holding Company/Mitchell Clinton Rezoning for a change in zoning from an R-1MH Single-Family/Mobile Home District and C-2 General Commercial District to a C-2 General Commercial District for approximately 2.18 acres of property located in east central Pasco County. The property is on the northeast corner of Circle B Road and Clinton Avenue. 

Plans have been approved for a 15,200-square–foot commercial warehouse to be built on the property. It also has an approved Commercial Building Permit for a 15,200-square–foot commercial building shell for future tenants.

The applicant wants the whole parcel to be in the same zoning district.

  • Recommended the BCC approve a Development Agreement with Depue East MPUD (Master Planned Unit Development) – Pulte Home Company, LLC. to design, permit and construct improvements to Watergrass Parkway and Wells Road in exchange for Transportation Development Fee (TDF) credits. The site is located south of Wells Road on approximately 931 acres within Villages L and M in the Villages of Pasadena Hills (VOPH). 

On May 9, 2023, the Pasco County BCC approved the Depue East MPUD in the VOPH to allow 2,300 residential dwelling units and 20,000 square feet of commercial uses on approximately 931 acres.

Numerous specific requirements to qualify for the VOPH TDC credits are outlined in the lengthy agreement that the BCC will consider approving at a future meeting. 

Affordable apartments proposed in West Pasco

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The Pasco County Planning Commission recommended approval for the rezoning of nearly 20 acres of property in the Bayonet Point area for the construction of a 114-unit affordable apartment complex.

Tenants who rent the apartments will need to make 60% or less of Pasco County’s Annual Median Income (AMI), which is approximately $78,000 a year according to information contained in the rezoning application.

(Westend61/Getty Images)

Households that make 80% or less of Pasco County’s AMI are considered eligible for affordable housing according to Chief Assistant County Attorney David Goldstein. The county can’t require a developer to have a lower AMI than that, but the applicant for the affordable apartments project has voluntarily agreed to the lower figure, according to Goldstein.

The Pasco County Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) will consider the request by Bayonet Land LLC/Bayonet Gardens (Bayonet) at its Aug. 21 meeting in New Port Richey and will have the final say on whether the rezoning will be approved because the Planning Commission only acts in an advisory capacity regarding such requests.

Bayonet is seeking to have the zoning changed from an MF-1 Multiple-Family Medium Density District to an MF-3 Multiple-Family High Density District for the property located on the southeast corner of the Intersection of Lakeshore Boulevard, Dallas Drive and Community Court, approximately 650 feet west of Fivay Road.

If this request is approved, McDowell Housing Partners plans to build a mid-level apartment building with a minimum height of four stories that will contain the 114 units. A detached, roughly 5,000-square-foot clubhouse and a swimming pool and pickleball court also will be developed on the property, according to a representative for McDowell who attended the Planning Commission meeting. This will be Phase One of three proposed phases of the apartment complex.

Between 100 apartments and 180 apartments could be built in Phase Two of the project. The total amount of affordable apartments contemplated for the project is 294, according to the rezoning application.

One of the Findings of Fact for the rezoning request was that “Pasco County has seen an approximate 67% increase in housing costs over the past three years compared to an 18.6% average wage increase. This proposal will serve the labor force, which is currently being locked out of an otherwise tight market in housing inventory.”

“The build out year for the project is anticipated to be 2030,” according to an analysis done for McDowell by Lincks & Associates LLC.

In other business, the Planning Commission:

  • Recommended approval of a zoning amendment with conditions requested by Sandhill Ridge MPUD Master Planned Unit Development – Habitat for Humanity of Pinellas County. The applicant wants to be able to build 23 affordable detached single-family homes on approximately 4.39 acres located on the west side of Little Road approximately 825 feet north of the West Pasco Government Center/Citizens Drive. The property is currently zoned R-1MH Single-Family/Mobile Home Zoning District.

The applicant is asking to be allowed to have lots that are a minimum of 40-feet-wide and to be excused from the requirement that lots of that size need to be rear-loaded. It said in the application for rezoning that county staff was amenable to a smaller MPUD because it will provide homes for working families, which is needed for the local economy and community, and will “be a transition from the commercial and heavy traffic along Little Road on the east, to the larger mobile home and residential lots to the west.”

  • Recommended approval of a change in zoning requested by Shah Sachin K and Sarmila Shrestha for approximately 0.41 acres located on the south side of State Road 54 approximately 400 feet west of Meadowbrook. The property is currently zoned AR-1 Agricultural-Residential District. The applicant wants it to be rezoned to PO-1 Professional Office District so a medical office containing between 2,800 square feet and 4,000 square feet may be constructed on the site.
  • Recommended approval of a small-scale comprehensive plan amendment requested by Tyler Suddeth for 2.06 acres of property located on the southwest corner of the intersection of State Road 54 and Ernest Drive in Wesley Chapel. The request is to have the property’s zoning changed from ROR (Residential/Office/Retail) and RES-3 (Residential-3 Du/Ga) to COM (Commercial) to allow for commercial uses that will serve the surrounding residential communities.

The BOCC also will consider these requests for zoning amendments and the comp plan amendment during its Aug. 21 meeting.

  • Approved a request for a Special Exception made by R.&J. Properties of PascoInc/Disbrow Duplex. The applicant wants to be able to convert an existing 3,416-square-foot dwelling that was previously used as an assisted living facility into a duplex. The approximately 0.26-acre property is located on the north side of

Baumann Lane approximately 210 feet west of Grand Boulevard.

  • Approved a request for a Special Exception requested by St Verena Coptic Orthodox Church Inc/St Verena Private K-5 School. The applicant wants to be able to have a K-5 private Christian religious day school for a maximum of 75 students with approximately 10 staff members, including teachers, from August to May for 180 school days. Of the 10 staff members, two would be full-time administration staff employees at the private school, according to the applicant’s agent, Angela B. Rauber, Esq., of the Tampa-based law firm of Hill, Ward, Henderson, P.A. The school will be located on 3.9 acres at 4125 U.S. 19 in New Port Richey.

The Planning Commission is empowered under an applicable portion of the Pasco County Land Development Code (LDC) to hear and decide requests for special exceptions.

Published July 03, 2024

Cellphone tower request put on hold

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The Pasco County Planning Commission continued to Aug. 8 a request for a conditional use that would allow a 185-foot-tall cell telephone tower to be placed on a property at 34041 St. Joe Road in rural Dade City.

The applicants are Southern One LLC/Coral Towers LLC/Verizon Wireless. They would be leasing space on the property where the cell tower would be located if the conditional use request is eventually approved.

The Pasco County Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) has the final say on whether the conditional use may be approved because the planning commission only acts in an advisory capacity.

(Karl Callwood/Unsplash)

A couple of area residents who attended the June 6 meeting in Dade City expressed concerns about the possible negative impact the tower might have on the value of their properties. The continuance was granted to provide time for research.

The applicant also agreed to the continuance according to attorney Mattaniah S. Jahn who represented them at the planning commission’s June 6 meeting in Dade City.

The applicants are seeking to have the tower on St. Joe Road, as it’s anticipated to increase coverage and capacity in the area for cellphone users.

In other business, the planning commission:

  • Recommended that the density of a proposed subdivision on Old Lakeland Highway should be reduced.

Crossways MPUD – Crossways 301 LLC had applied for a zoning amendment that would have enabled them to choose between two different options on how the proposed subdivision would be developed.

Option A was to build a total of 130 single-family residences on the 29.5-acres property that is 0.2 miles east and 0.1 miles north of U.S. Highway 98. Sixty-five of the homes would be on 50-foot-wide lots and the other 65 homes would be on 40-foot-wide lots. 

Option B was to build 40 single-family residences on half-acre lots in the proposed subdivision.

Crossways wanted to be able to choose either of the two options according to market conditions at the time the proposed subdivision was being developed.

Water and sewer services would have had to be provided by either Pasco County or Dade City if 130 homes were constructed on the property. It was unknown to the developer and county officials whether the required utility services would have been available from either potential provider in the six years that the requested zoning amendment would be effective.

Wells and septic tanks could be used if 40 homes were built on half-acre lots.

Planning commission members voted to remove Option A and to have conditions regarding utility conditions to be modified. Shelly May Johnson, the attorney representing Crossways, will work with Chief Assistant County Attorney David Goldstein to make the recommended changes before the BOCC considers the requested zoning amendment during its July 9 meeting in Dade City. If water and sewer services were available in six years, Crossways could apply to be able to build more homes on the site.

  • Recommended approval of a zoning amendment requested by Thomas Lee and Kimberly Anne Samonek. The Samoneks would like the zoning of approximately 3.22 acres in southeast Pasco County to be changed from an A-R Agricultural-Residential District to a C-2 General Commercial District.

The property is located on the southwest corner of State Road 54 and Ryals Road near the Zephyrhills First Assembly of God Church. The Samoneks have agreed to a voluntary deed restriction to ensure the property provides the benefits of commercial development, including, but not limited to, adequate employment generation. 

If the rezoning request is approved, it will not take effect until the deed restriction for the property has been recorded and delivered to the county. The owners/applicants must also submit a preliminary site plan or preliminary development plan, as applicable, for review and approval prior to the development or redevelopment of the property.

  • Recommended approval of a zoning amendment requested by the Rubrecht Ronald C and Patsy M Living Trust for approximately 40 acres in southwest Pasco County. The property is located on the west side of Joy Drive, approximately 650 feet north of Dogpatch Lane. The property is currently zoned Master Planned Unit Development and the request is for it to be rezoned to an A-C Agricultural District. 

The property is within approximately 45.3 acres that were rezoned as MPUD on Aug. 9, 2022. This would have allowed the construction of a maximum of 107 single-family dwelling units and associated infrastructure. However, the developer/contract purchaser did move forward with the purchase. Most of the properties were subsequently sold to others, including the site for which this zoning amendment has been requested. 

The present owners have no intention or desire to proceed with the conditions of approval associated with the MPUD. Instead, they propose to develop the site with three single-family dwellings and agricultural pursuits in conformance with the A-C Agricultural District standards for development. 

  • Finally, it was recommended to the BOCC that a small-scale comprehensive plan amendment to Future Land Use Maps be approved for Ed’s Food Truck Park. The applicant is seeking to have the zoning of 0.71 acres of property changed from RES-6 (Residential-6/DU/GA) to COM (Commercial). The property is located on the south side of State Road 54 approximately 200 feet west of Shelly Lane in west Pasco County.

It was emphasized at the planning commission meeting that if the land use change is approved, it doesn’t mean that someone could just go ahead and develop a food truck park. There are still several procedures the applicant would have to go through for that to be done. 

“An office could be built there. It doesn’t have to be a food truck park,” Planning Commission member Jon Moody said. 

Wireless activity may be improved in Blanton Lake area

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Current and future residents of the Blanton Lake area may be a step closer to experiencing significant wireless network improvements in the future following a recent action by the Pasco County Planning Commission.

(Hassan OUAJBIR/Unsplash)

Planning commissioners approved sending to the Pasco County Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) a request for conditional use submitted by Beverly and Vesta James Elliott/Coral Towers, LLC/Verizon Wireless. The applicants want to be allowed to have a cell tower installed at 17272 Spring Valley Road in Dade City.

If approved by the BOCC at its June 4 meeting in Dade City, a preliminary site plan will have to be submitted for review and approval before the cell tower may be installed. All applicable sections of Pasco County’s Land Development Code (LDC) also must be met prior to the tower’s installation.

The tower, which will be 195 feet high with a 4-foot-tall lightning rod on top of it, is expected to provide more coverage and capacity for the existing service area, the conditional request application said.

Plans call for the tower to be installed within a 1,600-square-foot fenced compound that will be suitable for the co-location of three additional carriers, for a total of four carriers.

The property where the tower will be placed is located on the north side of Spring Valley Road, approximately 870 feet west of Adela Street in County Commission District 1 in North Central Pasco County.

In other business at the May 2 meeting in Dade City, planning commissioners also:

  • Agreed to approve a zoning amendment requested by Trust 12304/Happy Hill for the zoning of approximately 0.66 acres of property located on the southwest corner of Happy Hill Road and Lakeview Drive to be changed from an R-2 Low Density Residential District to a PO-2 Professional Office District. 

There currently is a duplex on this property in County Commission District 1 in East Central Pasco County. The change will allow an office to be built on the property. 

  • Approved a zoning amendment requested by Hudson-based Tochas LLC. The applicant asked for the zoning of an approximately 0.69 acre site on the north side of Breakwater Lane approximately 180 feet west of Shady Hills Road to be changed from a C-2 General Commercial District to an A-R Agricultural-Residential District. The property is in County Commission District 5 in Northwest Pasco County.

The property owner had contacted Pasco County’s Zoning Office in August 2023 after he had listed the property for sale. He was told the property was not permitted for residential use except ancillary to a permitted commercial use on the property. He had purchased the property in December 2022 and told officials he did not intend to sell it for commercial use.

The single-family dwelling on the property had originally been zoned General Commercial for the specific use of a pet shop and kennel for racing, breeding and sales of small animals.  

Both of the above zoning amendment requests will not become effective unless approved by the BOCC at its June meeting. This is because the Planning Commission acts in an advisory capacity to the BOCC.

The Planning Commission also continued until its own June 6 meeting three requests for zoning amendments. They were for:

  • The zoning of approximately 3.22 acres on the southwest corner of State Road 54 and Ryals Road to be changed from an A-R Agricultural-Residential District to a C-2 General Commercial District. Thomas Lee and Kimberly Anne Samone asked for the zoning change on the property in County Commission District 1 in Southeast Pasco County.
  • The zoning of approximately 29.5 acres of property on the east side of Old Lakeland Highway slightly east and north of U.S. Highway 98 to be changed from an A-C Agricultural Zoning District to a MPUD Master Planned Unit Development District
  • Crossways MPUD – Crossways 301 LLC is requesting the zoning change for the property in County Commission District 1. Crossways seeks to be able to develop up to 130 single-family residential units on the property. The applicant said in its request that the proposed development would consist of 130 single-family detached units and associated infrastructure.
  • The rezoning from C-2 General Commercial District to a MPUD Master Planned Unit Development District for approximately 14.55 acres on the northwest corner of the intersection of State Road 54 and Lake Crystal Boulevard in County Commission District 1. The applicant is SR 54 and Lake Crystal MPUD Master Planned Unit Development – Interstate Homes LLC, et al. They are seeking to develop a maximum of 300 multifamily dwelling units, 7,000 square feet of office and 7,000 square feet of retail or 160,000 square feet of commercial on the property.

Published May 22, 2024

Emergency access is granted to Hazel Avenue

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The granting of emergency access to Hazel Avenue from a proposed 321-lot subdivision in Hudson was approved during the April 23 meeting of the Pasco County Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) held in New Port Richey.

The emergency access was part of a request made by Gary L. Blackwell Investments Inc., for the zoning of approximately 107.24 acres in northwest Pasco to be changed from A-R Agricultural-Residential District and A-C Agricultural District to Master Planned Unit Development (MPUD).

(Timothy L Brock/Unsplash)

It was approved by a vote of 3-1. Commission Chairman Ronald Oakley of District 1, District 2 Commissioner Seth Weightman and District 5 Commissioner Jack Mariano voted in favor of the measure that was opposed by District 3 Commissioner Kathryn Starkey.

The Pasco County Planning Commission (PC) had voted against the proposed emergency access during its March 21 meeting.

The PC’s decision came after hearing testimony from several area residents who voiced their opposition to any vehicular access being granted to Hazel Avenue from the proposed subdivision.

Approving the emergency access was one of three options put before the BOCC on April 23. The other two options were to either grant no vehicular access at all to Hazel Avenue or to grant full access to Hazel Avenue.

Several of the same people who opposed the access on March 21 also spoke against it on April 23.

The subdivision’s developer, Meritage Homes, has agreed to contribute $250,000 toward the cost of improving sidewalks along Hudson Avenue that will be the main entrance to the subdivision, said Kamala E. “Kami” Corbett.

She is an attorney with the Clearwater office of the Law Firm of Hill Ward Henderson and was representing the applicant.

In addition, Corbett said, the developer will contribute $3,800,000 in mobility fees and would have no objection if that money was used to improve the intersection of Hudson Avenue and Cobra Way.

In other business on April 23, commissioners:

  • Approved a construction contract with David Nelson Construction Company for a project to widen Wesley Chapel Boulevard/County Road 54 to six lanes from north of State Road 54/SR 56 to Old Pasco Road. The project is expected to cost $69,440,908 and to be completed by May of 2027.
  • Adopted a resolution for the Pasco County Housing Finance Authority to issue bonds in an amount not to exceed $85 million for the proposed development of 388 affordable housing units for persons aged 62+ at the Anchors at Gulf Harbors. The units will be located in the City of New Port Richey northeast of the intersection of Marine Parkway and Sea Forest Drive. The entire development will be affordable for tenants earning 60% or less of the area median income.
  • Approved a Conditional Use Request, with conditions, made by Word of Life Fellowship/Word of Life GLA for a Group Living Arrangement in an A-C Agricultural District in northwest Pasco County containing approximately 471.40 acres. The applicant will now be allowed to have a total of 1,237 beds in 52 dormitory buildings for church-related activities on its property located on the south side of Hudson Avenue, approximately 1,500 feet west of Hays Road.
  • Received a presentation from Bill Cronin, director of Pasco County Economic Development Council, regarding accomplishments in the previous quarter of 2024. Pasco is leading in the area of high technology and there are good jobs for area residents, according to Cronin. He added that 765 jobs had been created in Pasco County in the past quarter.

“We are probably bringing in twice as many businesses as residential projects,” Chairman Oakley said following Cronin’s presentation.

“We are third in residential growth but first in commercial,” added Commissioner Mariano.

  • Approved having the skate park located at the Land O’ Lakes Recreation Complex to be expanded from 10,000 square feet to 25,000 square feet. Its anticipated construction will begin in the fall of 2025 and be completed in the winter of 2025.

Published May 01, 2024

Rezoning clears way for development of large subdivision

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A zoning amendment approved by Pasco County Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) on April 10 makes it possible for a large subdivision to be developed within the Villages of Pasadena Hills (VOPH) after other requirements are met.

Plans call for 796 dwelling units and 75,000 square feet of non-residential use to be developed on 101 acres of property located within Village B of the VOPH.  

The VOPH is a dependent district comprised of approximately 22,000 acres bounded by State Road 52 to the north, Eiland Boulevard to the south, Curley Road to the west, and U.S. Highway 301 to the east.

(Sven Mieke/Unsplash)

A site plan will need to be prepared and presented to the BOCC before development of the proposed subdivision can begin. 

The part of the site that is located by Curley Road “is the most important corner for everything going into VOPH and it had to be done right,” said Clarke Hobby, an attorney with the Tampa-based law firm of Hobby & Hobby P.A., representing the applicant.

“This is a very good project and it looks very nice,” said BOCC chairman Commissioner Ronald Oakley, who represents District 1 where the property is located.

The request by RDPD V LLC, a Zephyrhills-based limited liability company, to have the property’s zoning changed from an Agricultural District (AC) to a Master Planned Unit Development (MPUD) was approved by a 4-0 vote.

Commissioners voting on the measure in addition to Oakley were Jack Mariano, District 5; Kathryn Starkey, District 3; and Seth Weightman, District 2. BOCC Vice Chairman Gary Bradford, District 4, was not present for the meeting.

In other business on April 10, commissioners:

  • Approved a zoning amendment allowing a maximum of 105 townhouses to be developed on approximately 17.6 acres of property in District 1 located on the south side of Clinton Avenue, approximately 330 feet west of Fort King Road. New Clinton LLC, a Land O’ Lakes-based limited liability company, had requested the property’s zoning to be changed from an A-C Agricultural District and an R-2 Low Density Residential District to an MF-1 Multiple Family Medium Density District. 
  • Approved a zoning amendment that will allow 37 single-family detached units to be developed on 26.6 acres of property in District 4 located on the north side of Willow Bend Parkway, approximately 250 feet north of Pasco-Hillsborough County Line Road. EC Willow Bend LLC, a St. Petersburg-based limited liability company, had requested the property’s zoning to be changed from E-R Estate Residential to Master Planned Unit Development (MPUD).
  • Approved transmitting to the Florida Department of Commerce a large-scale comprehensive plan amendment that would allow 18 single-family residences to be built on approximately 92.6 acres of property located in District 1 at 17001-17005 Bellamy Brothers Blvd. Sandbarren LLC, an Odessa-based limited liability company, requested the comprehensive plan amendment. 

The property is near the intersection of Bellamy Brothers Boulevard and Johnson Road. A man living on Johnson Road said he and neighbors didn’t want the property rezoned because the density that was being requested was very much out of character with the surrounding area.

The BOCC will reconsider the request during its June 4 meeting after it has heard back from the Florida DOC and other reviewing agencies.

• Approved an ordinance amending the Pasco County Land Development Code (LDC) so 3.49 acres of property owned by Russell K. and Leann Finlay could be used for commercial purposes. The property in District 1 is located on two lots on the east side of U.S. 301, approximately 200 feet north of Marka Drive.

The Finlays plan to construct a 21,000-square-foot small commercial center on the property, said their representative Anne Pollack. Part of the space will be used for the Finlay’s business and they will be able to add six additional employees. The remaining six to eight spaces may be leased to other businesses resulting in an increase of employment in the area, said Pollack, who is an attorney with the St. Petersburg-based law firm of Fletcher Fischer Pollack P.I.

• Approved a zoning amendment allowing 1.95 acres of property located in District 2 on the northeast corner of Tupper Road and State Road 54 to be used for commercial purposes. Dempsey and Daughters Inc., a Wesley Chapel-based for-profit corporation, requested the zoning amendment.

They are required to submit a deed restriction stating that the property will be specifically reserved for those commercial uses set forth in the Pasco County LDC to ensure that the property provides the benefits of commercial development, including, but not limited to, adequate employment generation. The rezoning will become effective when the deed restriction is recorded in Pasco County’s public records.

All three of the zoning amendments, the large-scale comprehensive plan amendment and the change to the LDC were approved by a vote of 4-0.

In addition, a resolution was approved by a vote of 4-0 to amend part of the BOCC procedural rules to establish the position of second vice chair. Commissioner Starkey was elected to fulfill that role. 

She will be able to perform the duties of the chair in the absence of both Oakley and Bradford, and only will be authorized to perform those duties for one day. This change was made due to the absence of both Commissioners Oakley and Bradford from the BOCC meeting on March 26, due to health reasons. Commissioner Mariano was temporarily designated as acting chair at that meeting as he is the longest serving member of the BOCC.

And a resolution electing to not exempt property under the “Live Local Act Property Tax Exemption” was continued to the May 7 meeting in Dade City because Gov. Ron DeSantis had not yet signed the legislation as of April 10. 

The act would grant tax exemptions to units in multifamily projects that are used to house natural persons or families whose annual household income is between 80% and 120% of the median annual adjusted gross income for households within Pasco County. 

Officials previously said the county could lose out on $38 million in tax revenues over a 35-year period if a pair of properties that were considering using the Live Local Act received tax breaks.

Also, Commissioner Weightman nominated Matthew Munz to fill a seat on the Pasco County Planning Commission that was previously held by Peter Hanzel who recently retired after serving on the PC for many years.

Munz’s appointment was confirmed by the BOCC and he is scheduled to participate in the planning commission’s May 2 meeting at 1:30 p.m., in Dade City.

Published April 24, 2024

Large employment project gains initial approval

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A rezoning request for property within Pasco County’s I-75 Interstate Employment Area gained initial approval from the Pasco County Planning Commission during its April 4 meeting.

The approximately 745-acre site is located north of State Road 52 and west of Interstate 75. It is currently zoned for agricultural, single family/mobile homes and general commercial purposes.

The request by Mulandco Liquidating Company LLC to have the zoning changed to Master Planned Unit Development (MPUD) will be considered by the Pasco County Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) during its May 7 meeting in Dade City. The Planning Commission (PC) acts in an advisory capacity to the BOCC.

(Etienne Girardet/Unsplash)

If approved, the applicant plans to develop 190,000 square feet of retail/commercial space, 3,000,000 square feet of light industrial space, 500,000 square feet of office space, a 250-room hotel, 1,550 multi-family apartments, 150 townhomes, 600 single family homes and 27 single family estate homes. 

“So far, it is the third largest employment project behind Speros (16.5 million square feet) and Double Branch (4.7 million square feet),” said Ryan Hughes, a Pasco County public information officer.

Plans call for between 375 acres and 400 acres of the property to be used to help increase the number of people working in Pasco County, said Clarke Hobby, an attorney with the law firm of Hobby & Hobby who was representing the applicant. 

However, the PC didn’t give Mulandco Liquidating Company LLC everything it had asked for in its request for rezoning the property — they had to withdraw three variances they had requested from Pasco County’s Land Development Code.

Those variances would have provided for the amount of land that had to be set aside for neighborhood parks to be calculated differently, the amount of buffering and screening required within the development to be reduced, and for being allowed to have a minimum width of 1.7 parking spaces per apartment unit rather than 1.9.

Those requests may be made to the county’s planning staff in the future and then presented to the PC or BOCC depending on which has final authority in the matter.

In other business before the PC last week:

• Agreed to send a request by Timber Ridge MPUD – Timber Ridge Dade City LLC for a zoning amendment to the BOCC. Approximately 48.2 acres of property on the west side of U.S. 301, west of 14th Street, is currently zoned R-3 Medium Density Residential District. The applicant is seeking for it to be rezoned to a Master Planned Unit Development (MPUD) so a maximum of 190 single family detached units may be constructed on the site. 

Some area residents told PC members they were opposed to the request because of concerns the traffic flow on 14th Street would be adversely impacted. 

Traffic on 14th Street south of the proposed project is currently using 20% of the street’s capacity in the afternoon, said Michael “Mike” Raysor of Tampa-based Raysor Transportation Consulting. After the project is completed, traffic would use 35% of the street’s capacity, Raysor said.

Traffic on 14th Street north of the proposed project is currently using 15% of the street’s capacity. Traffic there would be 35% after the project is completed, Raysor said.

Nancy Hazelwood, a resident of Trilby, asked the PC to restrict where traffic could come from out of the development, and to reduce the subdivision’s density.

The applicant withdrew its request to be able to have a stub-out for future connection to a vacant parcel on the northwest portion of the site.  The plans still call for Catalina Drive to be used for emergency access purposes. Also, there never was any intention by the planners to connect to Powerline Road, said attorney Clarke Hobby, who was representing the applicant.

And 291 single-family homes could currently be built on the property so the developer is proposing to reduce that amount by 101 homes, Hobby said. 

The BOCC will consider Timber Ridge’s request during its May 7 meeting in Dade City.

• The PC also agreed to send a request by Russell K. and Leann Finlay for a change in zoning from an A-C Agricultural District to a C-2 General Commercial District to the BOCC. The request is for approximately 3.49 acres located on two lots on the east side of US 301, approximately 200 feet north of Marka Drive. If the request is approved, the Finlays plan to construct a small commercial center containing approximately 21,000 square feet.

The Finlays plan to use part of that space for a business of their own, said Anne Pollack, an attorney with the St. Petersburg-based law firm of Fletcher Fischer Pollack P.I, representing the Finlays. This would make it possible for them to employ an additional six people, so they would then have 10 people working for them, said Pollack. 

The number of people employed in the area could also be increased by other businesses leasing the six or eight other spaces that could be available in the commercial center, Pollack said. 

The PC made some changes to the Finlays request prior to agreeing to send it on to the BOCC. The Finlays had agreed to some voluntary deed restrictions that PC members didn’t think were appropriate since the proposed commercial center would be in a rural setting.

The BOCC will consider the request at a future meeting.

Published April 17, 2024